Europe's Climate Crisis Disproportionately Affects Women and Marginalised Communities
Europe faces a grim reality as soaring temperatures, drought, and wildfires in 2025 have left widespread damage, loss of life, and ecosystem destruction in their wake. The climate crisis is disproportionately affecting women and marginalised communities, highlighting long-standing injustices in climate policy. These include failure to redress power imbalances and marginalisation of certain groups in planning processes.
The European Union's European Green Deal, aiming for a carbon-neutral continent by 2050, has been criticised for being largely gender blind and operating in 'silo mode'. This means it overlooks the unique experiences and burdens of women and marginalised communities, who are most vulnerable to climate change. Key sectors such as the built environment, agriculture, water, and transport systems are most affected.
In Ireland, climate action policies lack gender-specific data collection and often ignore women's disproportionate exposure to energy, housing, and mobility poverty. The annual climate action policies overlook women's unique experiences, reinforcing gender inequalities. The care sector, which is vital to climate resilience, is almost entirely absent from Irish policy frameworks.
The UN Women's 2023 report, 'Feminist Climate Justice: A Framework for Action', outlines key actions for achieving climate justice based on redistribution, recognition, representation, and reparation. However, the main responsibility for implementing gender-mainstreamed and intersectional climate policies in the EU lies with the European Commission, which develops strategies such as the Gender Equality Strategy. The European Parliament, especially relevant committees like the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, oversees and shapes legislation. Civil society organizations like the German Women Lawyers Association (djb) advocate for specific legal and social reforms, while national governments and ministries are responsible for transposing these policies into national law and practice.
The climate crisis in Europe is accelerating, with women and marginalised communities bearing the brunt of its impacts. To achieve true climate justice, it is crucial to address the gender blind spots in climate policies and ensure that the unique needs and experiences of these communities are taken into account. This includes collecting gender-specific data, recognising the care sector's role in climate resilience, and involving marginalised communities in decision-making processes.
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